Floating daughter card system and method

Abstract

A blade includes both a motherboard and daughter card to allow the combined functionality to be incorporated into a single black for size reduction. Standoffs couple the daughter card to the motherboard. Cantilever portions of the motherboard and daughter card exist between the standoffs and terminals of the motherboard and daughter card. The cantilever portions bend to accommodate any misalignment between the terminals of the motherboard and the daughter card and mating connectors of a bulkhead or printed circuit board backplane.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 a first board;   a second board;   standoffs coupling the first board to the second board, wherein cantilever portions of the first board and the second board exist between the standoffs and terminals of the first board and the second board.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the cantilever portions are configured to accommodate tolerance in the positioning of the terminals of the first board and the second board. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1  further comprising a bulkhead assembly comprising connectors, the cantilever portions bending to accommodate misalignment between the terminals of the first board and the second board and the connectors. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1  further comprising connectors configured to mate with the terminals, the cantilever portions bending to accommodate any misalignment between the terminals of the first board and the second board and the connectors. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 4  wherein a distance exists between the standoffs and the terminals of the first board and the second board, the distance being sufficiently great so that the first board and the second board can bend to accommodate the misalignment without damage to the first board and the second board. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 5  wherein the allowable amount of bending is 0.010 inches deflection per 1.00 inch of coplanar distance of the first board and the second board. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the first board comprises:
 a plurality of flexible fingers; and 
 a plurality of the terminals within a plane of the first board and coupled to the fingers. 
 
     
     
         8 . An electronic device comprising:
 a bulkhead;   a fixed connector coupled to the bulkhead; and   a floating connector coupled to the bulkhead, wherein the fixed connector is fixed in position relative to the bulkhead and the floating connector is moveable relative to the bulkhead.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a fixed connector guidepin coupled to the fixed connector; and 
 a floating connector guidepin coupled to the floating connector, wherein the fixed connector guidepin is longer than the floating connector guidepin. 
 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a fixed screw mounting the fixed connector to the bulkhead; and 
 a shouldered screw mounting the floating connector to the bulkhead, wherein the floating connector has an opening, the shouldered screw having a shaft within the opening, the opening having a first diameter larger than a second diameter of the shaft. 
 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 10  wherein the floating connector is moveable asymmetrically. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a first board comprising a first terminal configured to mate with the fixed connector; and 
 a second board comprising a second terminal configured to mate with the floating connector, wherein the floating connector is configured to accommodate tolerance in the positioning of the first and second terminals with respect to the fixed connector and the floating connector. 
 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 12  wherein the first board comprises:
 a plurality of flexible fingers; and 
 a plurality of the terminals within a plane of the first board and coupled to the fingers. 
 
     
     
         14 . An electronic device comprising:
 a first board;   a second board;   a standoff coupling the first board to the second board,   wherein the first board comprises a bendable cantilever portion between the standoff and a terminal of the first board.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic device of  claim 14  wherein the second board comprises a bendable cantilever portion between the standoff and a terminal of the second board. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 14  wherein a distance exists between the standoff and the terminal of the first board, the distance being sufficiently great so that the first board can bend to accommodate misalignment without damage to the first board, wherein the allowable amount of bending is 0.010 inches deflection per 1.00 inch of coplanar distance of the first board. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic device of  claim 14  wherein the first board further comprises:
 a plurality of flexible fingers; and 
 a plurality of the terminals within a plane of the first board and coupled to the fingers. 
 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 17  wherein the first board further comprises a main board portion, the flexible fingers protruding from the main board portion. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device of  claim 17  further comprising slots between the flexible fingers. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device of  claim 17  wherein the second board further comprises:
 a plurality of flexible fingers; and 
 a plurality of terminals within a plane of the second board and coupled to the fingers of the second board.